Consistent use of mulches over several years can provide significant N to avocado. Study of a 3-year-old Ventura, California, avocado orchard mulched annually for 3 years with 12–14 Mg ha–1 chipped eucalyptus showed that total N in the mulched soil was double that of the control. Mulched intact soil cores released 53 kg ha–1 more N annually than control treatments. A litterbag study showed that ...

Ethylene is used commercially to hasten ripening of avocados, but the presence of ethylene in the storage atmosphere can increase the risk of physiological disorders. To investigate the short term effect of ethylene on avocado physiology, fruit were dipped in a low concentration ethephon solution. The ethephon treatment significantly increased the ethylene production rate of avocados after 6 h, ...

The project was carried out by Agrisale in LTS-Walmart Chile, who advised, inspected and monitored the results, with the aim of establishing levels of ethylene in a supermarket’s storage chambers, and assessing its impact on fruit and vegetable ripening, and comparing the benefits of implementing ethylene-removal systems in this environment. The general objectives of the Pilot Plan are to: ...

Despite readily-available evidence to the contrary, many municipalities cling to the belief that implementing a compost program is costly, time consuming and offers no real benefit to the community. As a result, they either shy away from undertaking a composting effort entirely or — in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy — grudgingly implement a bare-bones program. North San Diego County ...

The contraption looks a bit like a sophisticated high school science project as it rocks back and forth, with steam escaping and a slight rumble reverberating in the large room. The Munchinator is at work. A team of representatives from Carson City-based Ecologico Logic Inc. brought a prototype of their machine from their ...

Types of production systems Roughly, five types of coffee production systems can be distinguished (Moguel, 1996, in Courville, forthcoming): 1)Traditional rustic coffee system: coffee production under forest trees by substitution of plants growing on the floor of a (sub)-tropical forest with coffee. There is a minimal impact on the original forest ecosystem; 2)Traditional polyculture system ...

Several research projects now under way have the potential to significantly expand the compost market in California. Californians generate 93 million tons of solid waste annually. The Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939) established the CIWMB and gave it the responsibility to oversee, manage and track all of this material. Expanding the opportunities for composting organic materials ...

On November 3-5, 2015, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Technical Working Group (TWG) on Pesticides, established in 1997 to streamline certain pesticide shipments between Canada (CN), Mexico (MX), and the United States (U.S.), held a meeting hosted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ...